ARTIST INTERVIEW: UTIP

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into music? 

Since I was little I liked to go to the electronic music parties in my town and I caught a lot, my parents bought me a tape recorder and tapes with different music genres when I was 8 years old. I was working in a bar in my city and towards the morning the dj from that bar let me play a couple of songs, when I realized that I should take this thing more seriously. After a period of time I started collecting music (digital and vinyl) and then I started mixing at home and learning to produce music.

Who are your biggest musical influences? How have these influences shaped your sound and approach to music production? 

The biggest musical influences are all artists from my musical genre, especially Romanians and not only them, but also all the parties I went to until this age of thirty-five years in many cities around the world and especially those in Berlin. The sound and the approach to the music production were largely and are due to my work and especially to a friend who helps me a lot in this regard.

What has been the highlight of your career so far? Do you have any good tour stories to share? And what was the worst job you ever had? 

The highlight of my career so far was the gig at Sisyphos (Wintergarten), I played the music from six to ten on Monday morning, it was the closing of the Wintergarten room, I went there a few times when friends of mine played the music or just to dance, but I didn’t see as many people for that hour as when I played the music. I put the music on and only 10 percent of the people left the room until ten o’clock and the rest danced non-stop, the people from the office came and asked me if they could play music for an hour because people felt good and tasted my music, and of course the music continued. It was a beautiful feeling, I felt the greatest exchange of love between me and the audience. The worst job I had was recovering after a DJ who played music before me took out my USB, thinking it was his USB and the music suddenly stopped, and the crowd stopped dancing to my first track in the set.

Can you share some of the challenges you’ve faced in your career and how you overcame them? 

One of the challenges I had in my career was to mix without having the tracks analyzed on usb, this meant that I could not see the composition of the track and the bpm, but I was able to mix quite well under these conditions, this is due to the fact that I learned to mix for the first time on vinyls and it’s about the same thing.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music? And what would you be doing if you weren’t a musician? 

This is how I would describe my sound to someone who has never heard my music:  

A Berlin-based producer and DJ, Utip’s music is deeply influenced by the city’s underground house scene. His sound combines minimalist house beats with atmospheric electronic elements, creating an immersive listening experience. His tracks, such as “Dai Tare” and “House Galaxy”, are characterized by button-tapping beats and hypnotic sound textures, designed to transport you into a state of dance and reflection. His collaborations, such as “Bring The Sun” with JAZ, add a deep vocal dimension, enriching his sonic palette. Overall, Utip’s music is a fusion of energetic beats and ambient soundscapes, reflecting the vibrant essence of the Berlin music scene. A Berlin-based producer and DJ, Utip’s music is deeply influenced by the city’s underground house scene. His sound combines minimalist house beats with atmospheric electronic elements, creating an immersive listening experience. His tracks, such as “Dai Tare” and “House Galaxy”, are characterized by button-tapping beats and hypnotic sound textures, designed to transport you into a state of dance and reflection. His collaborations, such as “Bring The Sun” with JAZ, add a deep vocal dimension, enriching his sonic palette. Overall, Utip’s music is a fusion of energetic beats and ambient soundscapes, reflecting the vibrant essence of the Berlin music scene. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough gigs and I have another job on the side, I work in a restaurant in the kitchen.

Can you walk us through your creative process when writing and recording a new track? 

When I start a new track, I always start by choosing the kick and the bass of the track so that it is perfectly understood as if it has been together for many lifetimes, after which I add the rest of the elements either recorded from my configuration of Doepfer modules, or other samples taken from other artists or made by me. In addition, there is also a great help from someone who helps me with the mix and the master and arranging the channels so that the track sounds right. And of course, the most creative part appears after 8, 9 hours of work in the restaurant. Next month I will release a track on an underground Romanian label, and in the near future I hope to release the first vinyl. I am working on several projects together with some Romanian artists, and this year I should be in another well-known collective.

What do you do when your equipment fails? 

When my equipment broke down, I was helped by friends to be able to use their equipment until my equipment was back to normal.

Which track would play during your walkout for a boxing match? 

At the end of a boxing match, I think the song by The Chemical Brothers – Free yourself would be perfect.

What do you think is the most important music equipment invention of all time – and why? 

The most important musical equipment invention of all time can be considered the synthesizer.

Why the synthesizer?

It completely changed the sound of modern music – From electronic music to pop, hip-hop, rock and film, the synthesizer redefined sonic possibilities.

Enabled the creation of sounds impossible in nature – Unlike acoustic instruments, synthesizers can generate completely new sound waves.

It spawned entire genres – Techno, house, synthwave, drum & bass, ambient – all exist because of the synthesizer.

It revolutionized music production – From big studios to home studios, synthesizers (hardware or software) are essential in music production.

It inspired new ways of composing – From modular patches to digital synths, artists can sculpt sound in infinite ways.

If we had to choose a specific model, the Moog Minimoog (1970) is one of the most influential, being the first portable synthesizer with a design accessible to musicians.

What advice would you give to someone trying to make it as a professional musician?

If you want to become a professional musician, you have to combine passion with discipline. Talent helps, but sustained work makes the difference. Here are some essential tips:

1. Master your instrument (or DAW)
• Practice daily, whether it’s a classical instrument, modular synth or Ableton Live.
• Experiment with new sounds, don’t get stuck in one technique.

2. Develop a unique sound
• Listen to a lot of music, but don’t copy. Try to create your own sonic identity.
• In electronic music, sound design is as important as composition.

3. Build your network of contacts
• Collaborate with other artists, producers, sound engineers.
• Be active on social media and music communities.
• Participate in events, jam sessions and showcases.

4. Learn the business part
• Copyright, contracts, digital distribution – you need to know how the industry works.
• Streaming and platforms like Bandcamp, Spotify, SoundCloud are crucial.
• Merchandising and live shows can become important sources of income.

5. Be patient and consistent
• Building a music career takes years. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have immediate success.
• Post and release music regularly, even if it’s not „perfect“. Evolution comes from work.